Getty Spencer Dinwiddie and Dorian Finney-Smith share a laugh on the Brooklyn Nets bench.
The Brooklyn Nets sit in fifth place in the Eastern Conference and have been adamant about remaining title contenders. But without Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving on the roster, it begs the question of which player on the new-look Nets will answer the bell when the clock strikes crunch time.
Newly acquired Nets guard Spencer Dinwiddie says not only is he up for the challenge but put the rest of the league on notice that he is the NBA’s top guy in that category.
“If we’re talking about just hitting game winners, like the actual shot itself? Oh, I’ve got the most in the league. Aye, most in the league, so you tee me up, it’s a bucket,” Dinwiddie said to Kristian Winfield of the New York Daily News on February 23.
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Spencer Dinwiddie Says He’s Not a Star
While there is no statistical evidence to support Dinwiddie’s claim because game winners are not currently tracked by any database, he does have a pretty strong track record to back his argument. On February 11, against the Philadelphia 76ers, the Nets guard nailed a half-court heave that would have sent the game into overtime. Unfortunately, the shot did not count because he did not get it out of his hands before the time expired.
SO CLOSE! Spencer Dinwiddie almost sends the game into OT!
76ers win after a 14-2 run late!
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Last March, the former Mavericks guard hit back-to-back game-winners over the Boston Celtics and the Nets after being shipped out of Washington at the 2022 trade deadline. But despite Dinwiddie’s success in the clutch, he still doesn’t believe that he falls under the classification of being a star.
“I think where you miss the stars is you get the benefit of the doubt, you get calls, you get a little preferential treatment, stuff like that. Same kind of thing in Dallas: It’s kind of maybe the last four or five minutes where you’re gonna miss a star because any bang-bang play or questionable call, a star’s gonna get it every single time just based on reputation, respect, all that stuff, so that’s where we’re gonna have to be super sharp,” Dinwiddie added.
“But in terms of the ability to make the last shot, I have confidence in most of the guys on this team. Joe [Harris], Cam [Thomas], Cam [Johnson], Mikal [Bridges] — and like I said, most in the league, so tee me up, and it’s a bucket.”
Nets Coach Reacts to Spencer Dinwiddie’s Claim
With the Nets officially devoid of an All-Star talent, if they want to have success in a loaded Eastern Conference, they will have to do it differently than before.
When they had Durant and Kyrie, the ball would go to whichever superstar was the most open. With this revamped roster, the last shot will likely come down to Brooklyn riding the hot hand. Head coach Jacque Vaughn is just happy he has several viable options to choose from.
“I think at the end of the day, it’s going to be a collective group trying to get us into position to be in a ball game in the fourth quarter. And like the other night, Mikal probably deserved to shoot the last ball if we needed one to be shot,” Vaughn said on February 23 via the New York Daily News.
“I’m quite sure Spencer is going to be on that list. We’ve seen Cam Thomas on that list, so it’ll be collective. I don’t know if we can pinpoint–say Spencer is going to shoot every game-winner for us. But it’s good to know he has some stats to back up having his name called.”